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Updates from Week 4
Quarterbacks
As expected, the majority of Seattle’s starters rested against the Packers in the final preseason game, including Geno Smith. The Seattle beat was generally pleased with what they saw from Smith in practices, and he enters the 2023 season with far higher expectations after putting up Russell Wilson-like numbers last season. Drew Lock has accepted his role as the No. 2 and showed well throughout the preseason. Holton Ahlers may stick on the practice squad, but the team will likely look to add a different emergency quarterback in the coming days.
Running Backs
Ken Walker III didn’t play in any preseason games, but he is thankfully back at practice as of last Wednesday. Rookie Zach Charbonnet started against the Packers but had no running room and once again didn’t play in obvious passing downs; DeeJay Dallas took on that role as he did last week. As we enter the regular season, we’re no closer to deciphering head coach Pete Carroll’s plan for the running back snaps. Rookie Ken McIntosh should stick as the fourth tailback, and Nick Bellore will serve as the fullback.
Wide Receivers
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett navigated yet another preseason effectively and enter the season healthy and focused. Jaxon Smith-Njigba made it clear he’ll play an important role, too and did nothing to dissuade supporters from thinking he could be the team’s top receiver in a season or two. But the rookie had wrist surgery last week, and his status for the early part of the season is in flux. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar expects the team to keep seven receivers on the initial 53-man roster, in part because of a procedural quirk that allows injured veterans the chance to be put on injured reserve and return four weeks later if they’re on the opening day roster. Cody Thompson (shoulder) and Dareke Young (hip) could be kept initially and then put on IR, which could re-open a spot for Cade Johnson. We highlighted Jake Bobo’s strong play a week ago, and another great week of practice and preseason game snaps are likely enough to secure him a roster spot. Bobo caught seven passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason.
Tight Ends
Noah Fant has the pedigree and athleticism to project as an impact offensive player, but he’s never lived up to his traits, and this year should be no different. The team will make liberal use of their top three tight ends – Fant, Will Dissly, and Colby Parkinson.
Defense
The defensive linemen we see on the initial 53-man roster may not be who we see by the time we kick off Week 1. Starters Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones are quality contributors, but everyone else projected to make the roster is expendable. Mario Edwards could be cut and then re-signed since he won’t hit waivers as a nine-year veteran. And two rookies – Cameron Young and Mike Morris – are projected to make the team but are also injured and could end up on IR. The outside linebacker group’s top four are locks: Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe, and rookie Derick Hall. The front office has difficult decisions to make at inside linebacker beyond starters Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks. Veteran Devin Bush was playing late in the fourth quarter of a meaningless game and was concussed. Vi Jones (ankle) is another candidate to keep on the 53-man initially only so they can put him on IR immediately. We’ve chronicled that Seattle has too many cornerbacks all summer, and other teams will be looking to scoop up their castoffs. Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Michael Jackson, Tre Brown, and Coby Bryant are seemingly locks, leaving veteran Artie Burns on the outside looking in despite showing well recently. Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Joey Blount, and Julian Love are the four safeties barring a shocking development.
Returners
DeeJay Dallas handled most of the returns for Seattle last season, ceding only a few to Godwin Igwebuike. With Igwebuike departing in free agency, the door is open for Dallas to lead the team again in 2023.
Updates from Week 3
Quarterbacks
While the Cowboys sat most of their projected starters, Seattle took a different approach. Geno Smith and the first-team offense played two series and completed 5-of-6 passes for 46 yards but only managed a field goal. Drew Lock had more success, completing 5-of-6 passes for 119 yards while leading the team to touchdowns on both of his drives. He was slated to play longer but suffered a minor knee injury, but he should be fine. Holton Ahlers came in late in the first half and finished out the game.
Running Backs
Although Kenneth Walker Jr. is back practicing, he didn’t play against the Cowboys. In a reversal from Week 1, Zach Charbonnet started with DeeJay Dallas rotating in with the first team. Charbonnet only played eight snaps and took a seat with the rest of the starters, but he made the most of his opportunity with 31 yards on three carries, including an eye-popping 29-yard scamper. Coach Pete Carroll praised the young back after the game, saying, “He looks pretty good. We feel like we already know who we got — we think we’ve got a hell of a football player. There’s so much stuff that he does well. He’s explosive. He’s consistent. He’s really smart. You can totally count on the guy.” Dallas played on all third-and-longs with the starters, as he did in Week 1; it’s fair to label the veteran as the team’s passing-down back until we see evidence to the contrary.
Wide Receivers
Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be projected for 100-plus targets on quite a few teams, but he ended up in Seattle with two elite veterans. While the conventional wisdom is that Smith-Njigba will displace Tyler Lockett in short order, the truth is DK Metcalf, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba are all going to play a lot because having all three on the field gives the team its best chance to win. Metcalf didn’t play against Dallas, and Lockett ran one route, caught a pass from Geno Smith, and took a seat for the rest of the game. That allowed Smith-Njigba to show off against Dallas’ backup secondary. The dynamic rookie caught three passes for 58 yards, including a 48-yarder from Drew Lock that put the Seahawks on the 1-yard line. It’s worth mentioning that Seattle started the game in 13-personnel (1 running back, 1 receiver, 3 tight ends), and the lone receiver was Smith-Njigba. Undrafted rookie Jake Bobo, whom we highlighted last week, had another terrific week of practice and capped it with a solid showing against the Cowboys. The former UCLA Bruin caught two passes for 43 yards. While there’s no clear path toward an offensive role in 2023, barring multiple injuries, even Geno Smith has taken notice of the youngster. “Everybody wants to see him make plays, but every day he comes out, he is consistent,” Smith said. “He gets open, and he catches the ball. Right now, we just have to continue to push him and make him better, but he’s doing all the things he needs to do.”
Tight Ends
Noah Fant came off the PUP list over a week ago and is rounding back into form. There was never a question he would be the starter as long as he’s healthy and, by his own accord, he’s feeling good. “I wouldn’t be out here practicing if I wasn’t right,” Fant said. “The training staff has taken care of me. [Coach] Pete [Carroll] has done a great job of helping me out and taking care of me. I’m feeling good and just trying to get all of the technique back, running the routes, and things like that.” Fant suited up against the Cowboys, playing eight snaps with the starters. The workload was split evenly between him (8 snaps, 3 routes run), Will Dissly (6 snaps, 2 routes run), and Colby Parkinson (7 snaps, 3 routes run).
Defense
All summer, the Seahawks’ cornerback depth has been the envy of the league, but against the Cowboys, things didn’t go exactly to plan. Veteran starter Mike Jackson gave up first-down completions all three times Dallas threw in his direction. Tre Brown played better on the other side, including an interception late in the game. They’re competing for one of the outside slots opposite Tariq Woolen until Devon Witherspoon gets moved from the nickel slot role to his more natural place outside, singled up on an island. With Darrell Taylor missing most of the summer, all eyes have been on the young edge players on the roster, and it’s been encouraging. Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Tyreke Smith, and Levi Bell have all had big-play moments in practice and the preseason games.
Offensive Line
The line’s current ranking (23rd) may understate the potential of this young, talented group. Tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are on the ascent and form one of the league’s more compelling young tandems. Left guard Damien Lewis is excellent and playing for a contract. Right guard Phil Haynes takes over after splitting reps with Gabe Jackson last year. At center, free agent Evan Brown has a slim lead over Olu Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi won the Rimington and Outland trophies last season as one of college’s best linemen.
Updates from Week 2
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith sat out against the Vikings in the preseason opener, and Drew Lock played most of the game, aiding Seattle in a 24-13 victory. Lock performed well, completing 17 of 24 passes for 191 yards (8.0 per attempt), with two touchdowns and an interception, along with 14 rushing yards. Holton Ahlers also had an impressive showing (4-for-4 for 43 yards, a touchdown, and 26 yards rushing). Despite a quiet week on the field, Smith had the honor of being named to the NFL 100 by his peers. Smith ranked 77th overall and was the 11th-ranked quarterback, being the sole Seahawks offensive player to make the list.
Running Backs
Ken Walker III missed the Vikings game but returned to practice over the weekend. He and Zach Charbonnet haven’t been healthy together for weeks, and it’ll be great to see how their roles are defined now that both can practice. With Walker and Kenny McIntosh out, veteran DeeJay Dallas got the start over Charbonnet. Dallas played the first eight snaps but only ran twice for 1 yard. Charbonnet ran four times for 14 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and caught two passes for 14 yards; he also graded out well in pass protection.
Wide Receivers
The much-anticipated debut of Jaxon Smith-Njigba went well. He only played 12 snaps but was the featured target (4 targets, 3 receptions, 25 yards) during that time. Veterans DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett got the night off as planned. While Smith-Njigba looked smooth in his first NFL snaps, it’s noteworthy that he only played in 11-personnel groupings, even without Lockett and Metcalf in the rotation. This suggests that the coaches are focused on getting Smith-Njigba comfortable as the main slot receiver, but whether he’ll play much on the outside this year is a question. Every training camp seems to have a few undrafted rookies who perform well enough to generate buzz, but the reality is that few end up making the final roster or contributing. It’s unclear whether Jake Bobo is an outlier, but he continues to push hard for a spot on the Week 1 roster. Weeks of impressive camp practices were one thing, but Bobo delivered a 3-catch, 55-yard, 1-touchdown performance against the Vikings. With Dee Eskridge suspended for six games and Cade Johnson hospitalized for a concussion, the door is open for Bobo to stick. Easop Winston (3 for 29 yards and a touchdown) and Matt Landers (1 for 30 yards and a touchdown) each found the end zone, too, but were mainly playing with the third-stringers.
Tight Ends
With Noah Fant and Will Dissly sitting out against the Vikings, Cade Parkinson got the start but was only targeted once. This unit looks to be identical to last year’s, with Fant as the primary receiving option and Dissly and Parkinson rotating in for different sub-packages.
Defense
Two Seahawks defenders made the NFL 100 list, and one didn’t play for the team last year. Cornerback Tariq Woolen slotted 76th overall and 7th among corners. Veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner ranked 62nd – while playing for the Rams last year – but re-joined the Seahawks this offseason. Woolen was activated off PUP last week and returned to team drills a few days ago. Outside linebacker Boye Mafe has been opening eyes in camp after a disappointing rookie season, so seeing the camp buzz flow through to the preseason opener was encouraging, as Mafe generated a pass rush and was solid against the run. Veteran Devin Bush, who never really lived up to expectations in Pittsburgh, led all Seahawks defenders with an 87.3 Pro Football Focus grade. The team lacks depth on the interior, and Bush needs a big season alongside Bobby Wagner, particularly with Jordyn Brooks on the PUP list.
Returners
DeeJay Dallas handled most of the returns last season, ceding only a few to Godwin Igwebuike. With Igwebuike departing in free agency, the door is open for Dallas to lead the team again in 2023.
Updates from Week 1
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith is in a much different place this summer than he was a year ago when he was competing for the starting job with Drew Lock, and most league observers doubted either could sustain a productive offense. Smith proved everyone wrong, winning the Comeback Player of the Year award while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. Armed with a new contract, Smith is now the unquestioned starter and team leader. That confidence finds him playing freer in camp and heeding head coach Pete Carroll’s desire to push the ball more aggressively downfield. “We’ve tested the secondary extensively with the ball downfield, and he’s been able to handle all that,” Carroll said. “He’s been aggressive – very aggressive. He’s really confident. … It’s not just dinking the ball around; we’re throwing the ball all over the yard, and he’s able to handle all the situations.”
Running Backs
What was supposed to be a fierce camp battle between incumbent Kenneth Walker and rookie Zach Charbonnet has instead turned into a showcase for the backups as both young powerhouses have missed time with injuries. Charbonnet hurt his shoulder and missed four days but returned to practice late last week. Many feared Charbonnet would miss much of the summer after being designated as “out indefinitely.” Coach Carroll joked, “Now you know what indefinite means.” Walker, on the other hand, hasn’t practiced since the first day of camp with a groin injury. Fortunately, Coach Carroll isn’t worried. “With a running back that’s gotta sprint and do the things that he does, we have to make sure it goes away before we get him back out,” Carroll said. “It’s not a serious injury. It didn’t show a ton on MRI. But we’ve gotta take care of him. This is the kind of thing we’d worry about being a nagging type of injury, and we don’t want that to happen. We’ll be overcautious this early in camp.” Presumptive No. 3 Kenny McIntosh is also out for a few weeks with an ankle injury, leaving veteran DeeJay Dallas to do the heavy lifting.
Wide Receivers
The addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba adds intrigue, particularly for fantasy football managers who are left to wonder how the targets will be distributed. The early returns suggest DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Smith-Njigba will be utilized regularly; expect plenty of 3WR sets. While that could mean fewer targets for the veterans, it bodes well for the offense’s overall effectiveness, as few NFL franchises will be able to field a better trio. Metcalf struggled in the red zone last season, and hasn’t been better in camp this year. That’s likely a statistical fluke, but he and the team are putting in extra work to solve the issue, in as much as it’s something truly needing to be solved for.
Tight Ends
For a team that threw to its tight ends 24.6% of the time last year, it’s stunning how little can be said for the position group halfway through training camp. Starter Noah Fant returns but missed the first week of camp after failing his conditioning test. Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson, and Tyler Mabry also return to round out the group. With Smith-Njigba’s arrival likely meaning more 3WR and 4WR sets, it’s hard to imagine any tight end on the roster having a fantasy impact.
Defense
In a league desperate for defensive backs, Seattle has an embarrassment of riches at cornerback. Tariq Woolen just came off the PUP list and joins Tre Brown, Michael Jackson, and rookie Devon Witherspoon. All four could start for many NFL franchises, which is to say nothing of second-year Coby Bryant, who acquitted himself well last year when given the opportunity. Witherspoon has practiced as the nickel cornerback for much of camp, but long-term, he’s got the athleticism and processor to handle single coverage outside. Veteran free agent Artie Burns has flashed, too, which could lead the team to trade one of its corners if there’s an opportunity to address a key need elsewhere. Up front, second-year Boye Mafe has been dubbed the most improved player in camp by Carroll. Bobby Wagner is back after a season with the Rams and should be a huge help in fixing a run defense that ranked 30th last year in yards allowed.
